The Sierra Nevada. The Range of Light and reason I started started peakbagging. With hundreds of miles of granite domes, craggy spires and challenging and remote summits, it is arguably one of the greatest ranges in the lower 48 states. Although now a state away, I will always consider this my home range and place of many of my greatest adventures, with the best yet to come.

Disclaimer: Many (although not all) of my trips involve cross country travel with varying degrees of technical difficulty. All distances and elevation gain are taken directly from my GPS. All reports include a “crux” given in the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS). This graded system is very subjective, and ratings I’ve given are either based on personal experience or overall consensus of a route within the community. Know that routes, conditions and risk factors can all change so practice your own judgement whenever setting out on your own adventures. For those less familiar with the YDS system click here for an overview article from REI.

Summit NameDistanceElevation GainCrux
Crystal Crag- West Face4.81,400'Class 4
University Peak9.25,800'Class 3
Banner Peak19.07,130'Class 3
Mount Conness9.03,550'Class 3
Mount Hoffman6.32,200'Class 1-2
Mount Morrison7.84,600'Class 2-3
Mount Davis30.48,000'Class 2-3
Mammoth Mountain4.12,620'Class 1
Bloody Mountain8.74,650'Class 2
Five Fingers2.01,820'Class 2
Mount Jenkins3.22,635'Class 2
Red Peak26.49,400’Class 3
Hoffmans Thumb6.82,630'Class 5.6
El Capitan and Eagle Peak15.37,060'Class 1
Gale Peak, Sing Peak and Redtop12.56,100'Class 3
The Grack2.31,500'Class 5.6
Cathedral Peak7.42,600'Class 5.6
Silver Peak17.27,000'Class 3
Kaiser Peak10.83,700'Class 1
Madera Peak113,500'Class 2
Afternoon Nap2.21,580'Class 5.7
Sawtooth Peak and Needham Mountain13.26,500'Class 3
Excelsior Mountain and Shepard Crest12.24,300'Class 3
North Ridge of Mount Conness, North Peak and White Mountain12.65,200'Class 5.6
Shuteye Peak10.22,900'Class 1
Arrow Peak30.510,700'Class 3
Black Hawk Mountain20.87,000'Class 3
Mount Starr King12.64,750'Class 5.2
Church Tower2.01,900'Class 5.6
Munginella1.0700'Class 5.6
Heald and Nicolls Peak7.74,650'Class 3
After Six1.0750'Class 5.7
Tunnabora Peak12.47,750'Class 3
Wawona Dome11.03,600'Class 2
Chuckwalla and Cross Mountains12.05,500'Class 1-2
Swan Slab Gully0.7400'Class 5.6
Tollhouse Traverse1.3800'Class 5.5
Grizzly Peak, the Diving Board and Liberty Cap11.66,000'Class 4
Olancha Peak19.17,800'Class 2
Sunnyside Bench3.0700'Class 5.5
Dome Rock- Tree Route0.7425'Class 5.6
Mount Lyell and Mount Maclure28.38,180'Class 3
Mount Agassiz6.24,100'Class 2
Palisade Traverse- Thunderbolt Peak, Starlight Peak, North Palisade, Polemonium Peak and Mount Sill25.311,900'Class 5.9
Hidden Eagle5.02,000'Class 5.10b
Tehipite Dome26.38,100'Class 3
Unicorn Peak8.53,000'Class 4
Red Slate Mountain19.66,500'Class 2
Mount Ritter207,000'Class 3
Mount Baldwin15.36,000'Class 2
Mount Stanford, Esha Peak and Mount Morgan18.96,400'Class 3
Higher, Middle and Lower Cathedral Rocks4.84,800'Class 4
Matthes Crest and Echo Peaks10.24,400'Class 5.7
Mount Tom13.06,200'Class 3
Spanish Needle, North Needle and Lamont Benchmark12.55,050'Class 3
Independence Peak3.52,700'Class 3
Devils Dance Floor6.53,050'Class 2
Little Shuteye Peak4.81,200'Class 3
Mount Whitney226,600'Grade F
Mount Russell and Mount Carillon54Class 3 +
Mount Williamson and Polychrome Peak54Class 3 +
Mount Muir and Mount Whitney54Class 3 +
Middle Palisade166,800'Class 3
Russell Peak, Deception Peak and Backus Peak8.53,600'Class 3
Pinyon Peak5.53,050'Class 2
Homers Nose and Homers Brow13.67,380'Class 1d
Merced Peak, Edna Peak and Triple Divide Peak22.39,100'Class 3
Goat Mountain and Munger Peak19.08,800'Class 2
Recess Peak17.27,900'Class 3
North Maggie Mountain11.15,700'Class 3
Reversed Peak4.21,700'Class 2
White Wing Mountain4.82,300'Class 2
Rainbow Mountain, Florence Peak, Tulare Peak and Vandever Mountain18.97,760'Class 3
Mount Gardiner21.710,000'Class 3 +
Tollhouse Rock- Elephant Walk1.1650'Class 5.7
Mount Abbot10.24070'Class 3
Raymond Mountain14.85150'Class 2
Hog Mountain, Edison Point and Hacker Mountain6.63300'Class 1
Tehachapi Mountain and Double Mountain10.04200'Class 2
Nutcracker Suite1.0750'Class 5.8
The Caverns and Jamcrack2.21,000'Class 5.9
Mount Watkins and Yasoo Dome15.45,000'Class 1
Round Top and The Sisters East and West7.83,200'Class 3
Royal Arches2.41,600'Class 5.7 A0
Cardinal Pinnacle0.81,200'Class 5.10a
Mount Gibbs, Parker Peak, Koip Peak and Kuna Peak19.36,850'Class 3
Red and White Mountain and Mount Isaak Walton30.68,400'Class 3
Fresno Dome- South Pillar2700'Class 5.7
Crystal Crag- North Arete4.0700'Class 5.7
Cloudripper and Vagabond Peak12.04,390'Class 3
Lower Cathedral Spire2.31,900'Class 5.7 A0
Mount Clark and Clark Canyon Crag29.28,400'Class 3
Chiquito Dome1.51,500'Class 5.10c
Dunderberg Peak3.82,700'Class 2
Kennedy Mountain20.77,400'Class 2
Mount Mills and Lookout Peak10.23,800'Class 3
Mount Senger20.16,000'Class 2
Laurel Mountain7.94,450'Class 5.2
Mount Whitney- East Buttress14.16,250'Class 5.7
Matterhorn Peak14.95,500'Class 5.7
Foerester Peak and Long Mountain27.07,250'Class 3
Basin Mountain, Basin Mountain Southwest, Four Gables South and Four Gables17.97,300'Class 4
Mount Kaweah30.112,140'Class 3